Seal assemblies are generally discussed herein for sealing a first environment or chamber from a second environment or chamber with particular discussions extended to rotary shaft seals in which a seal is retained within a housing on a shaft and a constant pressure is exerted by the seal on the shaft to maintain a dynamic seal between the shaft and the seal. More particularly, rotary seals for use in abrasive environments, such as mud pumps, sludge pumps, and recovery pumps, to name a few, are discussed.
Seal assemblies for rotating, reciprocating, and face seal applications are well known in the art and are taught by, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,943; 4,830,344; 5,134,244; 5,265,890; 5,979,904; 5,984,316; 5,992,856; 6,050,572; 6,161,838; 6,264,205; and 6,641,141, the contents of each of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Prior art polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based seals, either as pure PTFE or PTFE composites, are preferred by some because they provide flexibility, low-friction, and self-lubrication when used in sealing arrangements with a moving shaft, such as a rotating or reciprocating shaft. However, PTFE material used in making seals can wear faster than desired when used in abrasive environments. Thus, operating life of PTFE-based seals is shorter than preferred when placed in these applications and conditions.